Apparatus for feeding material



Oct. 7, 19.47. A. DEICHMILLER 2 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING MATERIAL Filed Feb. 6, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet l /N VE N 70/? BY A. Of/CHM/ZZH? Oct. 7, 1947.

Filed Feb. 6, 1945 F/G. Z

A. DEICHMILLER APPARATUS FOR FEEDING MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 uuu'uuuuuuuaifg'g Of/CHM/LLER A TTOP/VE Y O -7, I A. ESEICHMILLER 2,428,698

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING MATERIAL,

Filed Feb. 6, 1945 3.Sheets-Sheet 3 5) W 4 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 7, 1947 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING MATERIAL Alwin Deichmiller, Pasadena, Md, assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 6, 1945, Serial No. 576,463

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for feeding material and more particularly to apparatus for feeding strip material to punch presses.

In the manufacture of articles from relatively thin strips of material wherein it is necessary to notch the edges of the strips along the entire lengths thereof, it is often advantageous to form the notches by a punch press. Heretofore, no mechanism has been provided which is suitable for feeding uniformly and automatically thin strips of material to a punch press so that the punch press can punch notches in the strips along the entire edges thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for feeding material.

.An apparatus forming one embodiment of the invention comprises a pusher slidably mounted with respect to the die block of a-punch press for engaging the edge of a strip of material to be punched, means for sliding the pusher to advance a strip engaged thereby, and means for holding the strip against movement in one direction relative to the punch press.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of apparatus forming specific embodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, side view of an apparatus forming one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the apparatus taken along line 2-2 of Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, side view of an apparatus forming another embodiment of the invention, and v Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, front view of the apparatus shown inFig. 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a punch press In of suitable construction, which includes a reciprocable head ll carrying a punch 12 and a base 13 on which a die block I4 is mounted. The die block is provided with a guide channel l along which a. short and thin strip I'B of material may be advanced to position the strip between the punch I2 and dies -20 formed in the die block it. The head H can be reciprocated toward and away from the base l3 by a. ram 2i to move the punch I2 alternately into and outof operative engagement with the dies 20-40, whereby a pair of opposed notches 22-22 is formed by the punch and the dies along the edges of the strip It at each reciprocation.

When the head H is moved toward the base l3, a cam surface l9 formed on the lower end of a pin 23 secured to the head moves into engagement with the projecting end of a pusher 2a, which is slidably mounted in an. L-shaped slot 25 formed in the die block I4. The cam surface of the pin moves over the end of the pusher as the pin moves downwardly and slides the pusher to the left, as viewed in Fig, 1, against the action of a spring-pressed plunger 21, which normally forces a shoulder 28 formed on the pusher into engagement with a stop 29 formed on the die block. When the pusher 24 is moved to the left, a tooth 26 (Fig.2) of a hard wear resisting material, such as 'Stellite, formed on the pusher engages the edge of the strip at a point thereon closely adjacent to one of the dies 2ll'22 and moves the strip a predetermined distance to the left. The head then continues to move toward the die and the projecting end of the pusher is engaged by a straight portion M of the pin 23, after which the pusher is moved no farther to the left, but remains stationary as the head continues to move toward the die block.

After the pusher 24 is moved completely to the left and is engaged by the straight portion 31 of the pin 23, the strip I6 is held stationary by the tooth 26 and teeth 32-32 (Fig. 2) formed on a plunger 33, which is pressed against the edge of the strip It by a leaf spring 34 bolted to the die block M. A leaf spring 35 presses a plunger 31 against the pusher 24, whereby the tooth 26 is maintained against the edge of the strip it.

After the strip It has been moved to the left, it is held by the plunger 33 and the pusher 24, and as the head ll continues its movement toward the die block l4, a conventional stripper il (Fig. 1) moves into engagement with the strip I6, after which the punch l2 punches out a pair of the opposed notches 22-22 in the strip. While the punch i2 is in engagement with the strip, the strip is held securely against movement in the channel If; by the stripper, the plunger 33 and the pusher 24.

In the operation of the apparatus described hereinabove, the ram 2| moves the head II toward the die block l4, whereby the strip i6 is moved to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, the length between adjacent ones of the notches 22-22. The strip is securely held in that position, and the stripper AI and the punch l2 successively engage the strip. The punch then punches out the notches while the strip is held securely by the pusher 26, the plunger 33 and the stripper.

The ram 2! then acts to draw the head ll upwardly, as viewed in Fig. 1, whereby the punch i2 is drawn out of the newly formed notches, the stripper 4| is moved away from the strip [6 and. the pin 23 is moved out of engagement with the projecting end of the pusher 24. As the pin moves away from the pusher, the spring-pressed plunger 21 (Fig. 2) presses the pusher back to its starting position, that is, toa position in which the shoulder 28 formed on the pusher engages the stop 29 formedon the die block l4. As the pusher is movedto its starting position, the tooth 26 slides along the strip and does not move the strip,

3 which is held stationary by the teeth 32-32 on the plunger 33. The operation described hereinabove then may be repeated until the entire strip is notched.

Since the tooth 26 of the pusher 24 is positioned closely adjacent to the dies 20-40, almost the entire length of the strip can be moved by the pusher to positions below the punch I2 and over the dies 20-20. Consequently, very short strips of material may be automatically fed almost their entire lengths between the punch and the dies. Even though the pusher and the plunger 33 are positioned closely adjacent to the dies and the path of the punch, the pusher and the plunger lie in the same plane as the strip I I5, and, therefore, do not interfere with the notching operations while feeding and holding the thin strip securely. Since the pusher engages the edge of the strip, the pusher does not cause buckling of the strip when the pusher moves the strip.

An apparatus .constituting an alternative embodiment of the invention is disclosed in Figs. 3 and 4. This apparatus includes a punch press IIII having a head III and a, base H3. A die block II4 having therein a channel I I5, a punch H2 and a stripper IQI are identical with the die block I l, the punch I2 and the stripper 4i, re spectively, of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2. All the other elements of the apparatus shown in'Figs. '3 and 4, except an actuating mechanism H8, are identical with the elements of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

I The actuating mechanism I I8 (Figs. 3 and 4) takes the place of the pin 23 and includes an arm I I9 bolted to the head III. A cam lever I23 having a lobe I28 formed on an end thereof is pivotally mounted by a pin I29 on the lower end of the arm. A compression spring I39 mounted in a socket I3I formed in the arm urges the cam lever in a clockwise direction, as View in'Fig. 3,

which movement of the cam lever is limited by an abutment I 21 formed on the arm.

A stop I32 is threaded into a bore I 33 formed in the base II 3 and has a locking nut I 34 positioned thereon. The stop is positioned directly in the path of the outer end of the cam. lever I23.

When the head I II is moved by a rain I2I toward 7 the base I I3, the cam lever strikes the stop, whereupon the cam lever is rotated rapidly in acounter-clockwise direction, as seen 'in Fig. 3, and the lobe I 28 formed on the cam lever is moved rapidly past the projecting end of a pusher I24, which is identical with the pusher 24 shown in Figs. 1

and 2.

In the operation of the last-described apparatus, the head III is reciprocated toward and away from the base II3. As the head is moved toward the base, the lobe I28 is moved into engagement with the projecting end of the pusher I24, the cam lever I23 strikes the bolt I32 and is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3. When the cam lever is rotated, the lobe I28 rapidly moves the pusher I24 to the left a predetermined distance, whereby a thin strip I I 6 of material is moved the same distance to the left.

As the head continues 'to move downwardly,

, the stripper I4I' moves into engagement with the strip H6, the cam lever is pivoted further in a J counter-clockwise direction, whereby the lobe I28 is moved out of engagement with the pusher I24. The pusher I24 then is urged to the right to the position it occupied at the start of the operation.

The stripper I 4! prevents retrogression of the strip I'I6 (Figs. 3v andfl) inithe channel H5 when the pusher I24 returns to its starting position. The punch I I2 then punches notches in the strip;

After the notches are punched in; the strip, the head III starts its upward stroke and the stripper I4I strips the strip IIB from the punch H2. The head continues to move to its upward position and the cam lever I23 strikes the pusher I24 and rotates in a counter-clockwise direction until it is raised above the pusher I 24. Due to the weakness of the spring I30 the pusher is not moved when it is struck by the cam lever in the upward movement of the cam lever, The abovedescribed operation is repeated until the strip H5 is completely notched.

Each of the above-described apparatus serves the entire lengths thereof. Each serves to feed.

and punch both short strips and long. strips .with uniformity in the distances between the notches. No manual handling of the strips is required during the punching operation. In addition to the foregoing advantages, the pushers 24 and I24 010- erate without buckling thev thin strips, whereby the distances the strips are fed are very uniform. Of course, the pushers-24 and I24 may have on each a plurality. of teeth, such as the tooth 26, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1; In a material feeding apparatus for a punch press including a die block having a die and a channel formed therein, a punch and means for reciprocating the punch toward and away from I having a die formed therein and also provided with means for guiding astrip of material along a predetermined path extending over the die, a pusher mounted slidably along the. edge of the path and having atooth thereonfor engaging V at a point closely adjacent to the diean edge of the strip of material guided by the guiding means,

and means for actuating'the pusher to advance the strip along said path.

3. In a material feeding apparatus, a die block having formed therein adie and a channel 'extending over the die, said die blockhavin'g a slot formed therein adjacent to the die "and" the r channel, a toothed pusher mounted in said slot for engaging a strip of material positioned'in the a channel at a point on said strip closely adjacent to the die, and means for moving the toothed pusher in the slot to advance a' strip of material engaged thereby along the channel.

I 4. In a material feeding apparatus, a die block having formed thereina die and a channel along which a strip of material may be'advanced to positions over the die, said die :block beingpro- Vided' with a slot positioned adjacent to the die, and opening into an edge of the channel, a pusher having a tooth formed thereonimounte'd in the slot with the tooth projecting'into the channel, means for .reciprocating'the pusher to advance along the channel a strip. ofv material engaged by the tooth, and means for holding the stripof material against retrogression in the channel.

5. In a material feedingapparatus for a.punch press includingcaf reciprocable punch and means for reciprocating the punch, a die block positioned in the path of the punch and provided with a die cooperable with the punch, said die block also having formed therein a channel for guiding a strip of material between the punch and the die and a slot at one edge of the channel closely adjacent to the die, a pusher having a tooth formed thereon mounted reciprocably in the slot, means for pressing the pusher to tend to maintain the tooth against a strip of material laying in the channel, means for urging the pusher in a direction away from the die, means movable with the punch for moving the pusher in a direction toward the die to advance the strip of material between the die and the punch, and means for engaging the strip of material to prevent movement thereof when the pusher is returned by the urging means.

6. In a material feeding apparatus for a punch press including a grooved die block, a, punch and means for reciprocating the punch with respect to the die block to form notches in a strip of material, a pusher having a tooth formed thereon and reciprocably mounted in said die block adjacent to the groove therein, means for urging the pusher in one direction, a spring-pressed plunger having teeth formed thereon and slidably mounted in the die block on the side of the groove opposite to the pusher for engaging the edge of a strip of material, a pivoted cam movable with the punch for moving the pusher a predetermined distance along the groove against the action of the urging means when the punch is moved toward the die block, and a stripper for holding the strip against movement relative to the die block when the pusher is moved by the urging means.

7. In a material feeding apparatus for a punch press including a grooved die block, a punch and means for reciprocating the punch with respect to the die block to form notches in a thin strip of material, a pusher having a tooth formed thereon and reciproca'bly mounted in the die block adjacent'to the groove therein, means for urging the pusher in one direction, a lever having a cam formed thereon and movable with the punch, a stop positioned in the path of the lever for pivoting the cam rapidly past the pusher to move the pusher a predetermined distance along the groove against the action of the urging means during a portion of the movement of the punch toward the die block, said lever being pivoted out of engagement with the pusher during a later portion of the movement of the punch toward the die block, and a stripper movable into engagement with the strip for preventing retrogression of the strip of material when the urging means returns the pusher.

ALWIN DEICHMILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,217,501 Remsen Feb. 27, 1917 2,301,064 Meitner Nov. 3, 1942 674,852 Coe May 28, 1901 691,883 Zucker Jan. 28, 1902 2,242,097 Weidauer May 13, 1941 1,048,136 1 Davis Dec, 24, 1912 1,632,593 Gaisman June 14, 1927 

